The Baffled King
by Srtgirl
Summary: What do you do when you discover that the woman you're in with love, is in love with your best friend?  Slightly AU, set after the end of the series, mostly from Tamaki's POV.
1. Introduction

The school year was over and summer was in full swing, after having successfully escaped the clutches of Lady Eclair(Thanks to Haruhi and the other hosts) I found my self on a flight to Paris, more excited than you could possibly imagine, my father had given me permission to visit my mother and I had jumped at the chance. It wasn't until I was within a couple of hours of landing that I realized I had failed to inform Kyouya of my departure.

"Oh, mommy is going to be so angry!" I thought of the glare I would surely earn from him and was quick to fish my cell phone out of my pocket and type up a quick text;

**Mommy! I'm on my way to Paris.  
>I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner.<br>I guess it slipped my mind!  
>I'm so excited though! ^_^<strong>

**See you in a couple of weeks!**

**~Daddy**

After rereading the text, I nodded my head and hit send. Hopefully, he wouldn't be _too _upset with me. It was about half an hour later that I was informed we'd be landing soon and another thought had drifted into my head...My darling daughter, my little Haruhi would be left alone to be bothered by those evil dopplegangers the entire two weeks I'd be gone.

"THIS JUST WON'T DO!" I exclaimed so loudly that I startled the stewerdess and I was quick to grab my cell phone again and type up a quick message to Hikaru and Kaoru, informing them that if either of them was to hurt or kidnap my daughter while I was away I'd be sure to do them harm!

I sent the text before I was reminded by the stewerdess that I needed to buckle my seatbelt now and remain seated until the jet landed. My mind drifted back to Haruhi and I bit my lower lip as I thought of her saving me from Eclair...After that day, I had been having these odd feelings, feelings I couldn't understand. Small flutterings in my stomach-like butterflies-every time I thought of her. I took a deep breath and exhaled before glancing out the window, as the city of Paris slowly began to come into view I sighed softly, and smiled.

"Mother, I'll be there soon." 

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><p><strong>Seeing as it's just the introduction, I didn't feel the need to make it to long, I apologize if this disappoints anyone. I promise the actual chapters will be much longer. Please R&amp;R!<strong>

**XO,  
>Nikki<strong>


	2. Caribbean? No way

The text came at an awkward time, which I was not surprised by. Leave it to that fool to text at the wrong moment, it never fails. Luckily, I'd been wise enough to turn my cell phone on vibrate prior to the meeting and it didn't interrupt a thing, though I did feel it vibrating in my pocket.

It was nearly two hours later, that I found myself in riding in my limo on the way to lunch when I finally got to read the text the idiot had sent.

**Mommy! I'm on my way to Paris.  
><strong>**I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner.  
><strong>**I guess it slipped my mind!  
><strong>**I'm so excited though! ^_^**  
><strong><br>See you in a couple of weeks!**  
><strong><br>~Daddy**

I stared at the text message for several long minutes, this meant that his father had finally given in to his desire to see his mother. I smiled, no matter how much of an idiot I knew him to be, he was still my best friend and I was happy that he'd finally be reunited with his mother. Perhaps he'd be a little less unbearable after seeing her? I considered this a moment before mentally shaking my head, no. No, of course not. He'd never be less unbearable, he's not wise enough for that.

I exhaled as I considered how to respond to him, a solid two weeks of summer break without having to see him meant I might actually get some time to myself, that was definitely something to be happy about.

****

**Tamaki, don't do anything stupid.**  
><strong>If you get lost or kidnapped, it's<strong>  
><strong>your own fault.<strong>

**Have a nice time visiting your mother.**

**-Kyouya**

I reread the text once before hitting send and then glanced out the window as we drove towards the restaurant. It was turning out to be a beautiful day, partly cloudy, easily in the 80's with a light breeze and the sun shining. I realized now that this would be prefect beach weather and I made a mental note to plan a trip to the Caribbean before summer break was over.

**BUZZZZZZZZZZ.**

**BUZZZZZZZZZZ.**

I glanced at the caller ID before answering.

"Yes, Hikaru?"

"Kyouya-senpai! Did you hear-"

"-Tono is out of the country-"

"-For two weeks!"

I pinched the bridge of my nose, sometimes I hated it when the two of them finished each others sentences. It tended to leave me with a massive headache.

"Yes, I am aware of the situation."

"Well! He says-"

"-That we aren't allowed to see Haruhi while he's gone."

"Which is absolute madness." Kaoru added.

"Your point?" I inquired as the limo pulled to a stop in front of the restaurant, I really just wanted to hang up on the two and get to lunch.

"Well-"

"-We had this excellent idea, you see."

"We think the entire host club-"

"-Minus Tono, of course-"

"-Should come with us to America!"

I tossed the idea around in my head for a minute before I had an obvious list of pros and cons.

"Haruhi doesn't have a passport."

"We already thought of that." Hikaru spoke now, seeming to enjoy himself. "We already took care of it, too."

"When do we leave?" I asked, wondering why on earth I was agreeing to a trip with them when I'd already settled on the Caribbean.

"Tomorrow at one!"

"We'll see you then senpai! Bye!"

I heard a click as the line went dead. 

* * *

><p>"~Kao-chan! Where are we going first?" Honey-senpai said excitedly in between bites of cake. Little flowers and hearts floating around his head.<p>

"Well, we're planning to spend a week in New York City-" Kaoru began.

"-But first we're going to Texas." Hikaru finished.

"Texas, ne?" Honey tilted his head to one side, a question mark had appeared.

"Why Texas?" Haruhi muttered.

I wasn't surprised by her foul mood, though it had lightened considerably from a few hours ago when we'd first boarded the jet. She was obviously unhappy that Ranka had been so quick to agree to let Haruhi come with us without consulting her first. She seemed even more upset when she'd realized that her excuse of not having a passport was no longer valid.

"Because-"

"-They have ten gallon hats!-

"-And boots that look like cockroaches-"

"-And women with huge hair-"

"-And cowboys in western gear!"

"Kao-chan...Hika-chan...whats a cockroach?" Honey asked.

"It's a bug-"

"-An ugly one."

"That sleeps in your walls-"

"-And eats your cake."

Honey's eyes grew wide as they slowly began to water. "TAKESHI, WHAT IF THEY EAT MY CAKE?"

"Mitskuni," Takeshi leaned over to become eye level with the obviously distraught boy. "We'll be staying in five star hotels, they don't have cockroaches."

"Oh," Honey nodded his head quickly in understand before happily returning to his cake.

This was definitely going to be a long flight. 

* * *

><p><strong>Originally I'd planned for this chapter to be much longer, but after some debate I chose to leave it as it is.<br>I apologize if it's a tad boring, it is, in a way...a filler. But I figured it'd make more sense to explain how they ended up in America then to go *POOF* and have them there for no rythm or reason. I should make note that I live in TX and though Hikaru and Kaoru's idea of this fair state is far from correct, it suits my plot. :)**

**Please R&R.**

**XO,  
>Nikki<strong>


	3. Damn rich bastards

**DALLAS-FORT WORTH AIRPORT;**

"Yay, we're here!" Hunny exclaimed in excitement as he spun around in circles near gate C23, almost bumping into several people who looked at the young boy like he was crazy. Of course, it only took a moment for the women in the near by vicinity to start gawking at the beautiful men who were walking up beside him.

I rolled my eyes in annoyance, apart of me thankful that for once I was dressed as a girl and that I was less likely to be gawked at this way. I glanced around the airport wondering for a moment where we would need to go to claim our luggage.

"Haruhi, you don't need to worry. Our luggage will be delivered to our hotel rooms." Kyouya spoke with a sly smile as my 'group' began walking towards the exit.

_Damn rich bastards_. I thought bitterly as I followed behind the rest of the host club. As much as I hated to admit it, I actually was pretty excited to be here. Of course, I'd never give the twins or the rest of the host club the satisfaction of knowing that. Afterall, they'd be pretty unbearable if they knew I was actually enjoying myself.

Though truthfully, apart of me would have rather been home studying. Oh well, what can you do? I sighed as we crossed through a set of glass doors into the pick-up area.

"NATALIE!"

I glanced up, wondering who on earth Kaoru was yelling at and was surprised to find a tall girl being engulfed by the twins.

"Hahahahaha, Hello boys. Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?"

Hikaru cleared his throat as he and Kaoru each wrapped an arm around Natalie's shoulder and turned to face the host club.

"Natalie, let us introduce you to the host club." Hikaru said in a singsong voice.

"The cute one is Hunny-senpai, the tall one is Mori-senpai-" Kaoru pointed to them both and Hunny waved excitedly.

"That one is Kyouya-senpai. He's sneaky, be careful." Hikaru staged whispered to her before his eyes settled on me.

"And last-"

"But definitely not least-"

"Is Haruhi!" They said in unison.

* * *

><p>Less than twenty minutes later, I found myself sitting between Kyouya and Mori-senpai in Natalie's limo on the way to our hotel. Over the course of the car ride I found out that Natalie was a model and that about a year ago she'd done some modeling for Hikaru and Kaoru's mother. Needless to say the three of them had become good friends and stayed in contact.<p>

"So Haruhi, the twins have told me a lot about you. How do you like the host club?"

I was taken slightly off guard by the question, but I quickly shrugged my shoulders. "It's a lot of work, but it's nice."

"Awww, Haruhi loves us!" The twins shouted before I was pulled from my seat and squashed between them.

"Uh guys...I can't...I can't...breathe." I choked out a moment before Mori-senpai pulled me away from them and back into my original seat.

"Thank you, Senpai."

"Ahh."

"We're here." Kyouya murmured and closed his black notebook with a _snap!_ "The Rosewood Crescent Hotel. An excellent choice, Natalie." He turned his host smile towards her and I noticed a faint blush grace her cheeks.

I felt something stirring in my stomach when I also noticed her wink at him before climbing out of the limo. _Hmm...must have been something I ate on the flight_. I thought to myself as I caught my first glimpse of the hotel. I froze for a moment before I felt my irritation from earlier come back.

_Damn rich bastards and their stupid up-scale hotels_. I turned my face upwards towards the beautiful blue sky and sighed. _Mother up in heaven, do you see this? What have I gotten myself into?_

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><p><strong>AN- Hello everyone! I'm so sorry that it's taken me so long to update. I've just had so much going on lately (I got married back in October!) Anyways, I apologize for the wait and also for the fact that this isn't the best chapter in the world. Please R&amp;R! :)<strong>


	4. Love? Nervousness? Oh my!

It had been two days since my return to France. Needless to say, I was ecstatic to be here. I could hardly contain myself. And yet, here I was in a little cafe near the beautiful Eiffel tower behaving myself and having lunch with my mother. Ahh, could life be any better?

"Tamaki, tell me more...Do you have a girlfriend?" Anne-Sophie spoke softly, though her health had improved she still sometimes found breathing to be a little difficult. Even so, she couldn't deny her son when he begged to take her out to lunch.

"No mother, I'm afraid I don't. There's just too many beautiful princesses to choose from!" I nodded my head vigorously as if to prove my point. And it was true, there were many beautiful girls at Ouran.

"But surely one must have caught your eye, Tamaki. Isn't there at least one that you have interest in pursuing?"

I took a sip of my tea as I considered her question carefully. Was there a specific girl who had caught my eye? Someone whom I couldn't imagine living without?

"Well, there is Haruhi. But she's my daughter!" I laughed as I set my glass back down on the table. "Oh mother, I can't wait for you to meet her though. She's adorable!"

"Your daughter you say?" She paused a moment before smiling faintly at her son. "But surely, you must realize that she cannot be your real daughter? You are only seventeen, after all."

I gaped at my mother a moment, as confusion slowly began to sink in. _Not...my daughter? _"But mother, surely that's not possible!" I exclaimed causing several people to turn and stare at us. "After all, why else would I be so concerned for her safety and happiness? It just doesn't make sense!"

I felt my mother's hand on top of my own and I looked up at her to see her shaking her head and smiling fondly at me.

"Son, have you ever stopped to consider that maybe you find yourself so concerned for her because you care for her? Perhaps even love her?"

* * *

><p>Dallas was a beautiful city. Filled with museums, theaters, a gorgeous skyline, several parks(including theme parks! Much to Hikaru and Kaoru's delight) and even a rather large zoo and aquarium.<p>

The people in Dallas were unique, they spoke with strange accents(Though, according to Natalie everyone in Texas talked like that.) They wore all sorts of clothes, though on many occasions we got to see the boots Hikaru and Kaoru spoke of(Honestly, what made them think for even a minute that they looked like cockroaches?) And even though we spoke English fairly well, it was a new twist trying to learn the words and phrases that were apparently very common in this part of the country.

"Howdy darlin'" Kaoru tipped his recently purchased cowboy hat at me and I busted out laughing.

"Kaoru, are you making fun of little ol' me?" Natalie asked with mock-hurt.

"Now ya'll know we ain't here to make fun of you." Hikaru said with a grin as he attempted walking in a pair of cowboy boots.

"You two sound absolutely ridiculous!" I held on to my sides as I continued to laugh. The entire imagine of the two of them trying to be 'Texan' was just too much for me to handle.

"Haru-chan is right." Hunny said between mouthful's of cake.

Speaking of cake, where did he manage to find cake inside of a western store? My eyebrows knitted in confusion, my laughter having died off. It was just a clothing store after all. And there definitely was not a bakery near-by.

"Honestly, ya'll don't know the half of it." Natalie grumbled as she rolled her eyes and glanced down at her wrist to check the time. "We better be going. Our reservations for dinner are in two hours."

"That sounds like an excellent idea." I heard Kyouya speaking from behind me and I jumped in surprise. When did he end up behind me? Wasn't he outside on a phone call just a moment ago?

"Ah, Haruhi. Did I scare you?" As I turned to look at him, the first thing I noticed was his all-knowing smirk. The second thing I noticed was the way the light reflected off his glasses, effectively hiding his eyes.

"N-no, senpai." I mumbled and quickly made my way towards the exit. I couldn't understand this feeling of nervousness I felt around him all of the sudden. It just didn't make any sense.

* * *

><p>"L-l-love her?!" I gasped, my eyes growing wide. <em>Was it possible? No! No! It..it couldn't be!<em>

"You know, Tamaki." My mother patted my hand before she stood up to head towards the exit. "It's okay to fall in love with a friend."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: TA-DA! I hope this new chapter being posted so quickly after the last one helps to make up for my long absence this year. I apologize if there's any confusion on the POV's. The first section is from Tamaki's POV, while the second is from Haruhi's POV and then the last itty bitty part is Tamaki's POV again. I hope you all enjoyed it. Please review! :)**


	5. Is it possible?

My hotel suite was large and elegantly decorated. The living room was done in pastels with plush carpet, antique furniture, a 52" inch flat screen television and a little bar off in one corner. To the left of the living room was a small dining room with a mahogany table that seated six and white marble floors and just behind the dining room was a small kitchen with granite counter tops and stainless steal appliances. To the right of the living room was the bedroom. It was decorated in blues with a four poster king size bed and just beyond that was a walk-in closet and large bathroom with marble floors, a jacuzzi tub and a shower that had nine(I repeat, nine) shower heads.

The entire suite was nearly twice the size of the apartment I shared back home with my father which made me wonder why on earth anyone would need a hotel room this big, especially considering we were only going to be here for a week.

"Damn rich bastards." I grumbled as I walked into the closest and retrieved my luggage, I unzipped and shook my head. "Ugh, dad!" Needless to say he had repacked my suitcases when I wasn't looking and by the looks of things I suspected that Hikaru and Kaoru helped.

After digging through the bag for several minutes I finally selected a dark blue strapless cocktail dress. Surprisingly it's built in bra and the shape of it actually made me look like I had curves. Hikaru and Kaoru definitely helped. I selected a pair of black flats and ran a brush through my hair. I glanced at myself in the floor to ceiling mirror that hung in the closet and sighed. Hopefully they'd be satisfied with what I'd selected to wear to dinner.

I made my way back into the living and picked up my small black purse that held my wallet, cell phone and chapstick. While digging through my purse looking for said chapstick, I had opened the door to my room and was in the process of walking out into the hall when I walked into something rather solid and stumbled back a couple of steps but an arm had shot out and wrapped around my waist to steady me.

"You really should be more careful, Haruhi."

"O-oh, Kyouya-senpai. I'm so sorry!" After a moment, I noticed that he had released his hold on me and I looked up at him, I could feel the faint blush on my cheeks as I moved past him out into the hall and closed the door to my room.

"It's quite alright, Haruhi." He turned to walk down the hall towards the elevators. "I was just coming to inform you that everyone else is already downstairs waiting for us."

"Oh okay." I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding as we waited for the elevator to arrive.

We settled into silence as we stepped into the elevator. In my opinion the silence was just a little awkward, though I really had no idea as to why. I glanced over at him, finally taking the time to notice that he was wearing a black suit with a mauve colored shirt and a black tie.

_That shirt brings out the color of his eyes._I found myself thinking, I shook my head quickly trying to rid myself of such thoughts and instead turned my attention to the doors in front of us which at that moment chose to open, revealing the elegant lobby.

"Haruhi, you look so cute!" I felt Kaoru's arms wrap around me as he pulled me out of the elevator and I quickly found myself in both his and Hikaru's arms.

"I knew this design of our mothers would be perfect." Hikaru and Kaoru high-fived in triumph and I felt a giant sweat drop appear on my forehead.

"So you two, did help my dad repack my suitcase." I grumbled in annoyance as I slipped out of their arms and made my towards the exit and the awaiting limo.

"Aw, but Haru-chan. That dress is really pretty on you." Hunny spoke with a bright smile on his face that caused my irritation to slowly ebb away.

"Thank you Hunny-senpai."

* * *

><p>It was three o'clock in the morning and yet I couldn't sleep. I had spent the last several hours tossing, turning and trying to make sense of my chaotic thoughts. I finally decided to give up on sleep and tossed the blankets off to the side and I climbed out of bed and slowly began to pace.<p>

Did I love Haruhi? Was that even possible?

_Of course, it's possible. You can love anyone._

But she's my daughter, I just want to see her happy and I want her to be safe. Of course, I don't really like it when the twins hang all over her...

_But she isn't your daughter, you've met her father. You know who he is. And obviously you care very much for her._

Yes, but does that equal love?

The little voice inside my head grew quiet with that last question and I kicked a nearby dresser in irritation. "Ow! ow! ow!" Definitely not my brightest idea.

* * *

><p>We ended up having dinner at The Capital Grille, which turned out to be a four-star restaurant with a wine list a mile long. Upon Natalie's insistence Hikaru, Kaoru and even Mori-senpai had ended up ordering the 24 oz steak. After seeing the steak, I finally understood why I'd always heard that 'Everything's always bigger in Texas'<p>

I ended up ordering the Lobster and Crab stuffed Shrimp(So did Natalie) which was almost too much food for me to eat, but it was delicious. Of course, Kyouya, being Kyouya, had ordered some dish that wasn't even on the menu(And of course, he got it)

After much whining, Mori-senpai had successfully gotten Hunny-senpai to eat a much smaller steak before he started ordering dessert.

Overall, dinner had been a success.

"We should go to Six Flags tomorrow!" Hikaru suggested.

"Do you think they'll have cake?"

"I'm not sure Hunny, but they do have cotton candy." Natalie supplied.

"Mmm...Cotton candy is good too."

"No food before the ride's though." Kaoru added and made a barfing gesture. "That'd be gross."

"Can we not talk about barfing so soon after eating?"

"Does Haru-chan not feel good?"

"No, it's not that. I just don't want to think about it."

"Aww, Haruhi, you're no fun!" Hikaru poked me in the forehead and laughed.

"We could also go to Hurricane Harbor." Natalie cut in, which caught the twin's attention.

"Ohh, what's that?" They asked together as they scrambled to sit on either side of her, big grins on their faces.

"It's a water-park, a rather large one, I might add."

"Water-park! Water-park! Water-park!"

"Would you two morons shut up?" Kyouya growled causing them to instantly go deathly quiet. "We'll go, but on one condition."

"And what is that, Kyouya-senpai?" Hikaru asked speciously.

"No one, and I do mean no one. Is to wake me up before 10 AM. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir!" They both saluted.

_Mother up in heaven, do you see me now? Can you believe I'm in another country and I'm still dealing with these idiots?_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Okay, so this chapter is the longest one so far and I do promise to continue to make longer chapters. I've just been battling writers block(Plus I've been sick lately, boo) So I'm still trying to get back to 110%. I would also like the mention that The Capital Grille is a real restaurant located in several cities through out the country(Including Denver, CO) It is expensive but absolutely delicious(Especially the cheesecake!) Thanks for reading and please review! :)**


	6. Definitely difficult

By the time the day was over I had officially decided that I would never again step foot into a theme park with Hikaru, Kaoru or Hunny. They simply could not stand still. The worse part though? Dragging me with them, constantly pushing and shoving. All the bright colors, sounds and yes, even the smells had them flipping out.

Which is exactly why I was so very thankful when I was finally able to walk into the lobby of our hotel. Though Hunny was clearly exhausted, he and the twins were continuing to chatter about this, that and the other. Their arms filled with stuffed toys and balloons. Of course, I couldn't ignore the rather large pile of stuffed animals I was attempting to carry. I appreciated them trying to win me so many different things. However I was not so happy with the end result. I could hardly keep track of the toys by the end of the day, but I knew that losing any would break Hunny-senpai's heart.

I was making my way to the elevator trying to drown out the sounds of their chatter when I accidentally tripped, stuff toys flying every where. I closed my eyes, waiting for the impact that never came. As I slowly opened them, I realized there was an arm wrapped around my waist just barely holding me in place.

"You really should be more careful Haruhi." Kyouya's voice was smooth as silk and so incredibly close to my ear that I found myself shuddering. He began to chuckle even as he set me back on my feet, clearly he enjoyed my reaction.

"Haru-chan! Haru-chan! Are you okay?!" And that was the moment I remembered we weren't alone.

"Haruhi!" Hikaru came running to my side even as Kyouya released me, taking several steps back. "Are you okay? Did you get hurt?"

"I'm fine, it's okay, really." I laughed nervously even as I glanced over at Kyouya to find his attention solely focused on the tablet he was carrying.

"Haru-chan, maybe you should let Takashi carry your plushies?" Hunny offered in attempt to be helpful.

"Ah."

"Oh no, Mori-senpai, you don't have to do that!" I tried to object, only to find that Mori-senpai was already picking up the stuffed toys. "At least let me help." I moved to pick up one of the toys at the exact moment Mori-senpai reached for it, our hands brushed and I jumped back in surprise, a light blush spreading across my cheeks. He looked at me, eyes wide for a moment before he handed me the toy we'd both reached for, a gentle smile on his face.

"Thank you, senpai." I whispered as I took the toy from him and headed straight for the elevator, I was so surprised by the touch that I didn't even notice the fact that Kaoru was looking at me with a questioning gaze, or to notice that Kyouya seemed suddenly irritated.

* * *

><p><strong>~Tamaki's POV~<strong>

I hardly slept at all last night, I spent the majority of the night pacing the floor. The question that I asked myself last night still echoing in my head.

_Does that equal love?_

I couldn't bring myself to say that I actually loved Haruhi. I knew what my mother said made sense, but that didn't make this situation any easier. Rather Haruhi was my daughter or not, the Host Club was still my family. Wouldn't an announcement such as this ruin that family? I couldn't imagine the twins being okay with this, afterall they were devilish and definitely very close to Haruhi.

But then I also had to wonder about the rest of the Hosts, if I felt this way about Haruhi and hadn't realized it. Were the other hosts harboring feelings for my darling daughter?

"Ah, dammit." I sighed as I realized I was slipping back into the father role again. This was definitely going to be more difficult than I thought.

* * *

><p><strong>AN; Alright. It's a short chapter...OK FINE, it's an incredibly short chapter. But hey! At least I'm back to posting up chapters?! Yes? No? Okay :( I know I should update a lot more often, and I apologize for the long absence, I promise I'm working on the next chapter already though, so hopefully it'll be much longer and posted up MUCH sooner. Please R&R :)**


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